It’s no surprise, but a survey of 3,500 respondents in seven countries including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa has found opinions on social media to strongly influence shopping habits. Friends and family have always been the number one influencer of most purchasing decisions and they are increasingly accessible online rather than by voice.

Findings of the succinct survey include:

• More than 40% of survey takers in the four African countries said social media is the most useful channel for gathering insight on a product. 20% look to the company’s website as the best resource.
• Blogs are not considered top-of-mind for researching products – less than 10% of respondents cited blogs as the most useful channel.
• In Kenya, social media impacts the mobile shopping experience of a whopping 70% of mobile users. That number is only 30% in Nigeria. No reason is given why the large discrepancy.
• 50-67% research a product “every time” or “often” on a mobile phone before purchasing it. Only 4-10% never research a product on mobile.

Kenya: What is the most useful channel for gathering insight on a product? {Jana, Brian Honigman}

Source: Jana Research & Brian Honigman via Huffington Post